Furniture Cluster: Demand for Georgian Furniture is Growing

Local furniture manufacturers claim that the cost of imported materials has climbed by 10-15%, while furniture prices have increased by 80% since the pandemic began.

Gocha Dvalishvili, a board member of the Georgian Furniture Cluster, claims that Georgia imports the majority of furniture raw materials from Turkey, with Russia-Ukraine having a minor role.

According to him, the share of locally made furniture is increasing. According to the Georgian Furniture Cluster, Georgian production accounted for almost 25% of overall turnover before the epidemic. This proportion has now risen to 45 percent. The main reason for the increase is a 300 percent to 500 percent increase in the cost of container shipping from China to Georgia, which has caused import furniture costs to rise dramatically.

"Turkey is the main supplier of our materials, the share of Russia and Ukraine is low, we also receive materials from Poland and several European countries. Prices have increased by 80% since the start of COVID-19, while the growth totals 10-15% within the last month due to higher fuel prices and the war. We do not have any type of shortage.

Recently, the demand for Georgian furniture is growing due to its high quality. In addition, the supply of furniture from China has become more complicated and more expensive. The share of local production on the Georgian market is already 40-45%," Gocha Dvalishvili said at BM.ge.